Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's 'Russian Asset' Remark Sparks Debate
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recently referred to Donald Trump as a 'Russian asset,' raising eyebrows and questions about the choice of words. This statement, made in the context of Trump's perceived strategic favoritism towards Russia, has garnered attention, particularly from Ukrainian media in English, though major global news outlets have not widely covered it.
Theories of Trump's Alleged Ties to Russia
Over the years, several former KGB agents have made unsubstantiated claims about Donald Trump's connections to Moscow. For instance, Alnur Mussayev, a former intelligence chief from Kazakhstan, alleged that Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987 during a visit to Moscow, with the code name 'Krasnov.' However, no evidence was provided to support this.
Sergei Zhyrnov, another ex-KGB agent living in France, claimed that Trump was surrounded by KGB operatives 24/7 during his Moscow trip, from taxi drivers to hotel staff. He suggested Trump might have fallen for a 'kompromat' trap—a Russian tactic involving compromising material for blackmail—or been caught bribing officials while planning a hotel in the Soviet capital.
Yuri Shvets, a former KGB agent stationed in Washington in the 1980s, compared Trump to the 'Cambridge Five,' a group of British spies recruited by the USSR. Shvets, a key source for journalist Craig Unger's book 'American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump,' stated that Trump first appeared on Russian radar in 1977 through his marriage to Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech model. This led to surveillance by Czechoslovak and KGB intelligence.
The KGB's 'Charm Operation' and Trump's Political Rise
Shvets described a 'charm operation' by the KGB during Trump's 1987 visit to Moscow, where operatives flattered him and encouraged his political ambitions. Upon returning to the U.S., Trump began exploring a Republican presidential bid, criticizing Japan and expressing skepticism about NATO, which was well-received in KGB circles.
Despite a 2019 investigation by Robert Mueller finding no conspiracy between Trump and Russia to interfere in the 2016 election, Shvets criticized it for not delving into counterintelligence aspects. Unger concluded that while Trump was cultivated as an 'asset,' his presidency was not part of a grand plan but rather a result of his vulnerability to flattery and narcissism.
Understanding 'Kompromat'
'Kompromat' is a Russian strategy of gathering compromising information to exert pressure or blackmail. Perfected by the KGB and still used by modern Russian intelligence like the FSB, it involves collecting any potentially useful data on individuals, as allies can turn into enemies.
Former British ambassador Tony Brenton confirmed to CNN that diplomats are warned about kompromat when posted to Russia, highlighting its role in how Russian intelligence operates to gain advantages.
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